Format: Picture Book Fiction

A Little House in a Big Place

A Little House in a Big PlaceA Little House in a Big Place by Alison Acheson, Valeriane Leblond
Published by Kids Can Press on May 7th 2019
ISBN: 1771389125
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

This sweet picture book captures the importance of a relationship that hardly exists. A girl watches every day for the train that goes by her house and every day she waves to the conductor. On his (unbeknownst to her) last day, he throws her his cap and she treasures it. What seems like what will be a book about her dealing with the change of this daily routine instead becomes a book about how fleeting yet important and true these connections we make as children can be. The book is low key and reassuring and would be great for someone who could use a little pep talk about how life moves on and it all works out.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten free Library, Bath

five-stars

Cats are a Liquid

Cats are a LiquidCats Are a Liquid by Rebecca Donnelly, Misa Saburi
Published by Henry Holt and Company on October 8th 2019
ISBN: 1250206596
Pages: 32
Goodreads
three-stars

The playful and adorable illustrated cats in this book attempt to decipher whether a cat is a liquid, a solid, or…oobleck?!  Simple, rhyming text walks us through all that cats can do, from fitting in everything, to shredding things, to napping on our stuff.  However, many of the cat similes are confusing, and the types of descriptions are not consistent. Back matter talks about the scientific joke that cats are liquid and shares resources for learning more about states of matter, the scientific paper about cats being liquid, and directions on making oobleck. Recommended for ages 4-8.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library

three-stars

B Is for Baby

B Is for BabyB Is for Baby by Atinuke, Angela Brooksbank
Published by Candlewick Press on March 12th 2019
ISBN: 1536201669
Pages: 40
Goodreads
four-stars

From the author of the Anna Hibiscus series, B Is for Baby is a charming alphabet book that focuses on the letter B. The visual narrative takes us on a journey through an African village, in which big brother delivers a basket of bananas on his bicycle to his Baba. Unbeknownst to big brother, baby sister has climbed into the basket of bananas and joins him on the journey. Angela Brooksbank’s mixed-media illustrations are cheerful and colorful, and big brother’s journey is filled with visual details that young children will be thrilled to discover. Interspersed with common B words (baby, butterfly, bird) are less common vocabulary that encourages kids and caregivers to learn about a different culture (baobab, bougainvillea, bungalow). Intended for children ages 3 – 6 years, this book will delight its audience.

Reviewed by Jennifer Benham, Prince Memorial Library, Cumberland

four-stars

Mini Rabbit Is Not Lost

Mini Rabbit Is Not LostMini Rabbit Is Not Lost by John Bond
Published by Neal Porter Books on October 8th 2019
ISBN: 0823443582
Pages: 32
Goodreads
three-stars

Following the adventures of a young rabbit in search of berries so that he can make a cake with his mother, Mini Rabbit Is Not Lost is vibrantly and whimsically illustrated. This is the author’s first illustrated children’s book, and Bond has not yet discovered his purely original voice as a storyteller. The story has  similarities in both text phrasing and character illustration as Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back. Mini Rabbit Is Not Lost does not come across as a successful debut book, perhaps because it feels so strongly influenced by Klassen’s work. Lacking a strong moral and original humor, this book feels disappointing. Despite reading this with a critical eye, I do think that Mini Rabbit Is Not Lost is appealing to its target audience of children ages 3 – 6 years. The illustrations are eye catching and skillfully created, and the singular-mindedness of Mini Rabbit wanting to bake a cake with his mother (“Cake! Cake! Cake! Must have cake!”) is relatable to this age group. Young children will enjoy this whimsical read.

Reviewed by Jennifer Benham, Prince Memorial Library, Cumberland

three-stars

Wintercake

WintercakeWintercake by Lynne Rae Perkins
Published by Greenwillow Books on October 15th 2019
ISBN: 0062894870
Pages: 48
Goodreads
five-stars

Thomas, a furry animal (perhaps a groundhog?), has misplaced the bowl of dried fruit he needs to make his holiday cake. His bird friend, Lucy (perhaps a cardinal), flies off in a snowstorm to help him, and mistakenly identifies a thief. All comes round right in the end. I enjoyed how the tension ebbs and flows throughout the story with much depth. The illustrations are glorious and some of the ones with speech bubbles are my favorite. This is a delightful story of friendship, community, stories, and cake. A wonderful addition to holiday books that focuses more on a solstice celebration rather than Christmas. Good readaloud for primary age.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library, Liberty

Reviews: Perkins’ art, with its warm yellows, opulent blues, and soft browns of wintry forest and cozy dens, nicely complements the fine narrative arc. This could simply be a splendid holiday tale: There is cake, after all, and there are both connection and community. But the different colorings of the animals’ coats combine with light-feathered Lucy’s false, if unspoken, accusation of innocent, dark-brown Tobin to offer an allegorical storyline for readers who care to pursue it.

Cozy—and potentially provocative. (Picture book. 4-8) Kirkus, July 2019

Starred Review: A first-rate example of a longer picture book for elementary-age readers and listeners. School Library Journal, October, 2019

 

five-stars

The Scarecrow

The ScarecrowThe Scarecrow by Beth Ferry, Eric Fan, Terry Fan
Published by HarperCollins on September 3rd 2019
ISBN: 0062475762
Pages: 40
Goodreads
five-stars

“The Scarecrow” is a beautiful and tenderhearted  story  about friendship and needing a friend.

A scarecrow in a farmer’s field stands lonely and forlorn.  Some of the smaller creatures are even afraid of  Scarecrow as he stands alone, through the seasons,  in the snow covered field.  One day a small crow drops to the ground right in front of Scarecrow. Is it  injured, does it  have a broken wing, wonders Scarecrow?  Scarecrow  bends low to save the tiny crow, scooping him up and tucking him into a pocket near his heart of hay.  He then sings him the sweetest lullaby.  When the day comes that his friend takes flight again,  Scarecrow is again sad and  wishes that he didn’t have to stay tethered to his post.  But when spring finally returns, after a long, lonely  winter, Crow reappears  followed by another crow!   Soon a nest of eggs appear in Scarecrow’s pocket. When  the new baby crows are old enough to fly away,  Scarecrow  finds himself lonely  once again – until the  day that  one of the fledglings returns to build  a new nest!

A beautifully written  story about kindness  and the enduring  bonds of friendship.  This lovely story  exemplifies  the appreciation and the love that is fostered when  helping  a friend in need,

All ages will benefit from this story of kindness, love and friendship. For use anytime!

 

Reviewed by Connie M. Smith

 

five-stars

Ghost Cat

Ghost CatGhost Cat by Kevan Atteberry
Published by Neal Porter Books on June 11th 2019
ISBN: 0823442837
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

“Ghost Cat”  is a quietly, haunting picture  book about “moving on.” A boy once had a cat that has now passed away.  But,  still, on occasion,  the boy catches glimpses of his cat following him around the house.

“I’ve only seen it out of the corner of my eye, but I think it’s a cat.  I know because I used to have one.”

In fact, at times, beyond catching glimpses of his former pet, the boy can also feel the weight of the cat on his bed,  and even hear  him playing with cat toys  in the house. One day the boy sees the cat sitting by the door, and after a few minutes,  “. . . it (the ghost cat)  ” . . . turned and leapt right through the door.”  Much to the boys’ surprise, when he opens  the door, there is a kitten sitting on his doorstep – just waiting to be claimed.

Soft colors, with boldly delineated characters and expressions.  This book serves as  wonderful metaphor for letting things go of  things one cannot change (the ghost cat leaving) and being ready and willing  to open  the door to  new possibilities.

Could be used to share after loss.   A lesson for folks of any age,

Reviewed by Connie M. Smith 

five-stars

Daddy-Sitting

Daddy-SittingDaddy-Sitting by Eve Coy
Published by Clarion Books on May 7th 2019
ISBN: 1328489892
Pages: 32
Goodreads
three-stars

This book is a sweet ode to an adorable father-daughter relationship. From the perspective of the child, she is the one caring for her daddy all day, and it is her responsibility to meet his needs (much like How to Babysit a Grandma/Grandpa). The illustrations are colorful, easy to follow, and support and enhance the story. This book will be enjoyed by young kids and their fathers, but it’s missing that wow factor. It’s a cute story, I like that it features a stay-at-home dad, but it’s not a unique story line, and there’s nothing that really grabs me about it. It would be best shared with kids ages 3-6, and could be used for a Father’s Day story time.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

Get Me Out of This Book!

Get Me Out of This Book!Get Me Out of This Book!: Rules & Tools for Being Brave by Kalli Dakos, Deborah Cholette, Sara Infante
Published by Holiday House on June 11th 2019
ISBN: 0823438627
Pages: 40
Goodreads
five-stars

What are the three basic rules for being brave? Ask any Navy SEAL, or any child who has read this book!

Max, a bookmark, used to be scared of images in books, like snakes. He went back to school to learn “rules and tools for looking right at scary.” After that, he used these to face down the scariest images, like sharks, cockroaches, and skeletons.

What are these rules & tools?

  1. Breathe deeply
  2. Make a plan
  3. Think good thoughts

Anyone can employ these for any situation – this book is entertaining and a great teaching tool!

Plenty of white space separates the images and text. Simple black font in several sizes emphasize emotions, like SHOOK and SCREAMED.

Author’s Note includes critical information about the influence of the Navy SEALS training methods.

Includes an actual bookmark in the image of Max attached to the back endpaper. 

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town

five-stars

You Can Make a Friend Pout-Pout Fish!

You Can Make a Friend Pout-Pout Fish!You Can Make a Friend, Pout-Pout Fish! by Deborah Diesen, Dan Hanna
on April 9th 2019
ISBN: 1250064287
Pages: 24
Goodreads
three-stars

Pout-Pout Fish is feeling sad as he doesn’t think he has any friends, and he feels like he doesn’t know how to make friends. To his surprise some of the undersea creatures, help Mr. Fish to see that there is nothing to be afraid of in getting to know someone new and making friends.
This is a wonderful book for the Beginning Reader.

Reviewed by Melissa Madigan

three-stars